Norse code

It was recently announced that the university's Orkney-based Centre for Nordic Studies would serve as the base for field trips by early-career researchers and students from the universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Nottingham.

Speaking about the forthcoming collaboration with the three English universities, Donna Heddle, director of the centre, said: "It's great recognition for the university and for the Centre for Nordic Studies' growing international reputation in Viking studies."

The pictured engravings, found at the archaeological site of Maeshowe, are part of one of the largest groups of runic inscriptions in the world.